Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Dressing the bump: (the 2nd trimester)

When I first found out I was pregnant, after all the initial excitement, sheer terror, and newness wore off, my thoughts started to drift towards maternity clothes. Just the sound of it was enough to make me cringe, as I started imagining myself in hideous tents with no style whatsoever.It was completely outside of myself, because I normally don't put much thought into what I wear. As long as it's comfortable, pretty, timeless, or solid, I love it. Anything more than that takes a lot of work that I wasn't willing to put in.

So entering my 2nd trimester of pregnancy at 3 months, I knew it was time to start paying attention to what I put on every day, or I would end up with low self confidence and....a tent. I was bound and determined to not buy maternity clothes. I normally live in plain vnecks, dresses, and cardigans all year, so I knew I could stretch some of those until the end.

At 15 weeks, I bought myself a Tummy Sleeve from Motherhood Maternity. It was just okay. Some women swear by them, but I was so bloated as an early pregnancy symptom, that my old jeans just weren't comfortable anymore.In your first trimester, a common symptom is bloating. Don't worry, you haven't really gained 15 pounds, already. By week 18, I felt like I had lost 10 pounds and found myself back in my old jeans, again.

I will say, that the Loved pair are just about the cutest, and most comfortable pair of Maternity Jeans I have ever seen. (I was wearing them in these photos) I am actually not at all a fan of skinny jeans, but I knew that being in my 2nd trimester during Fall/Winter meant lots of boots, so I needed jeans that were easy to tuck in. These are cute. Actually cute, not just maternity cute. Plus there is no hideous, giant panel.

The Old Navy jeans are very comfortable. They really do feel just like leggings. Not as cute, but perfect for layering under long tunics with boots. When only your knee is showing, they don't have to look that good! Just do the job.

I bought my jeans around the same size that I normally wear. In regular clothes (I can barely remember those days) I was a size 26, or 0/2 most of the time. So I bought all my maternity jeans in a 2 so I had a bit of room to grow. They run very true to size, and almost always have some stretch to them.

After the jeans, I boycotted maternity wear. My sister got me some corduroys for my birthday, and I added them to my small list of maternity clothes. I actually had a few pieces in my closet from years ago that were maternity. There is something about an extra long, empire waist-anything that lures me in. So I got all those out, combined them with a few of my favorite normal pieces, and learned to dress myself, all over again.

And by the end of the 2nd trimester, who knew, that I would end up buying a tent, after all.

Here are a few of my favorite outfits from the 2nd trimester.

Now that I'm in my third trimester, it's a whole new ball game. Baby joon weighs 4 pounds, and my belly is huge on my body. These days, tents sound pretty amazing, and I've had to get more creative as everything gets tighter and shorter. I will do a few more outfits for the 3rd (and final) trimester in the next few weeks.

Happy closet-shopping, Mamas to be! And please remember that following a good diet and exercise are the easiest ways to still be able to wear your clothes for as long as you can. Not only will it be better for you& baby, but it's better for your wallet, too.

PS: If you have any favorite maternity tips & tricks, online stores or anything related to dressing the bump, please leave a little note in the comments. I have a lot of readers that browse over the comments as well as posts, and I'm sure any extra feedback would be wonderful.

Absolutely love all your outfits with the stylish hair pairing. So glad to hear I'm not the only one thinking I'm a whale in my first trimester. Being bloated and feeling like I've put on 10 pounds already is messing me up emotionally. I know things will only get better in my second trimester. Looking forward to cute clothes and an adorable bump like yours :)

I did a lot of old navy maternity camis with cardigans. It seems like you already have lots of layering pieces and the camis are muuuuch cheaper than the typical maternity top. I was also able to wear them after the fact (they are super easy to nurse in).

you are the cutest mama ever, seriously! I can not wait to meet baby joon!

I also wore quite a few of my regular tunics/non maternity clothes until about month 7 and 8. I stretched them out as long as possible, but then all of a sudden everything was too short! I also pretty much lived in leggings my last trimester.

Now, since I wore them all throughout my pregnancy the actual tops are stretched out and hide my after-pregnancy c-section flubb. They wont fit the right way once the flubb is gone, but for now they work.

I'm not pregnant but I am jealous of all these outfits I love how you put them together! Very beautiful and your hair, fugettiaboutit, I love it.

I am happy about one thing - I own that same striped AE sweater and I can't wait to wear it during maternity.

I have the issue that when I shop at target I walk from junior section, to women and half way through the women's I fall in love with clothing and realize that I'm shopping in the maternity section. So much of it is SO cute and thankfully I would probably still wear it after a baby was born.

You could make a burlap sack look good! You look beautiful and you GLOW.

I love that you didn't lose your sense of style while pregnant. I tried to stay true to mine as well. I'm a size 14/16 when I'm not pregnant. I lived in leggings and tunics. I bought jeans from the Gap. I felt they fit a lot better than Old Navy and came in a great washes. Old Navy does carry a lot of inexpensive basics like t-shirts and camis which came in very handy while being pregnant in a hot Texas summer. I did splurge and buy a pair of $35 maternity shorts from Motherhood Maternity, which were a lifesaver.

One thing I'm really glad I did was buy tops from the plus size departments of Forever 21 and Target. A lot of those tops were empire waisted so they accommodated the growing baby inside. I made sure to buy them one size larger than I normally wear so there would be room for growing boobs and belly. I didn't have to spend a lot of money, but also looked trendy.

Oh what a great post!!! Your are so pretty and certainly know how to dress and be super cute pregnant or not :) The side braid looks darling on you, man I wish I could have curly hair like you haha!Thanks for all the tips. Even if I am not expecting yet I am sure that it will always be helpful in the future...

Where did you get those super cute sandals you are wearing and the green scarf? So pretty!

I'm small like you and all belly. I could wear a lot of non-maternity stuff until recently. I'm due in a week and I really do just feel like sweatpants all the time even though I really try to put on jeans and cute stuff as much as possible. Most days I start with jeans and end up in jammie pants. Makes me sad, but also happy because I'm so comfy.

wow Aura, thanks for putting in so much effort to show us how you dress your Joon bump! I'm not expecting but my case of baby fever has just gone on overload after this post! I can't wait until I am pregnant and can use your tips to dress the bump.One thing I would love love love to hear about is your exercise routine - both before you were pregnant, and now. I love your food week post and refer to it at least once a week to help keep my new healthy eating on track. I've tried using the gym but find it boring - would love to know more about your walks, bike rides etc.Thanks so much!<3 Jessica @ curiousliving.com

SO pretty! Loving all your outfits and those boots. Where did you get those boots? On campus? I LOVE them.And your hair... I so wish I could do my hair like yours. Everything just slips out. :( Do you want to do my hair for my wedding?! I'm only half kidding!

Ah, thank you guys! You are all so sweet. I've been stranded at the house for two days on snow days (we got a blizzard) so popping online for a minute and reading all these sweet comments has been so nice.

Nikole- The cardigan is from Forever21! I think all those companies probably buy from the same supplier, so their clothes look similar. It's why I always tend to go back to those stores for solids, and then spend the money on a few good designer pieces to incorporate.

Naya- Thank you so much for the tips! I'm sure they'll be helpful.I agree with everything you said, especially the solid pieces.I loved the Gap Maternity jeans, but we only have ONE actual store in state. Crazy, right? I don't online shop, (I don't even own a debit card!!) so I just went with Old Navy.Also, I agree 100% about buying up your size at those stores. My "Tent" in these photos is a shirt in a Large from Forever21. Even if it's huge on me later, it's still cute. I wore it around the lake house while in Austin a few weeks ago, and it was even so comfy as a houseshirt with leggings, so I know I'll wear it later.

Anonymous- A side braid holds much better with curls! I'm thankful for them. If you follow those messy wave directions at the bottom, you can actually pull your hair into the braid afterward, and it will hold a lot better/have more volume to it.The sandals I bought at Target last Summer.They look much better in the Summertime, enjoying green grass!

http://aurajoon.blogspot.com/2010/07/sometimes-life-happens.html

The scarf I bought 3 years ago at World Market. I love that store! Even the apron I wear at work is from there. We don't have one close by, but I always loved to stop in when I'm out of state visiting my sister.

Jamie- Oh girl. I need to do a "What I'm wearing the minute I walk in the door and on the weekends" post. This is definitely not the most comfy way to dress in the 3rd trimester, but I work in a salon and can't rock it in my yoga pants like I want to :) I can sympathize, especially since you're in your last week. I'm already feeling that!

CuriousJessica- Coming right up! Health/Fitness/Food is one of my biggest passions.

Melissa- I sure did! And I actually don't do wedding hair, but I can recommend a friend who sews up-do's with thread, so they're super loose and romantic. Come in for a haircut, I will teach you how to do more daily styling on your hair.

AH! adorable! it's so important (though tempting) TO STAY AWAY FROM being THAT pregnant lady (or new mama) in SWEATS. I get dressed do my hair and put a little blush and mascara on everyday. sometimes, when you feel good on the outside, you feel good on the inside... or maybe its visa versa... probably a bit of both :)

I have often wondered if you and your sister are close? You've mentioned her a few times in your posts and I know that your family as a whole is close. I'd love to know what your relationship with her is like. My sister is my absolute best friend and for some reason I'm intrigued about other women's relationships with their sisters. Hope you don't think that's too personal. Lovely bump clothes too - girl, you've got style! I predict you're going to have one well dressed little bub.

oh this post is great and just the clothing inspiration I needed. Thanks for the link to the 'loved' jeans - so affordable and so cute. I'll be getting some for autumn/winter. I agree with you about summer dresses/tunics over leggings/tights. Perfect in every way. x

Adorable- all of it- completely adorable. My best tip is to share your maternity clothes with girlfriends... my best friends and I keep all of our items in a big bin and it has been passed all over the country. Also, stock up on comfortable, more loose yoga-type clothing for after giving birth. Depending on how your labor goes you may be sore and swollen for up to 6 weeks and the comfy clothes will be such a saving grace.

You are like a picture perfect pregnant woman! I swear, you look like a model! I'm sure you get plenty of compliments on every aspect of yourself (style, complexion, writing style, photos) but I'm in love with your hair! :o) I'm excited to see what you name your little girl and can only image how cute she'll be. Thanks!

This post was so much fun to read! Thanks so much for posting it! I LOVE all your outfits - makes me want to go shopping (and maybe get pregnant! Haha!) :)

And you have beautiful hair. I'm always a little jealous of volume and curls. My pin straight hair doesn't do much but lie flat, and I'm not very good at styling it, so most days it's in a knot on the top of my head. Not the best, but what can you do? :)

I love your blog.Your pictures and words usually leave me feeling warm and cozy on the inside. I especially love that you seem to appreciate the SIMPLICITY in life. I wish more people did. You are beautiful and I adored just about every outfit you put together.

One of my friends decided after having her first baby (all of her three closest friends were pregnant within a year of each other), that something needed to be done about their maternity clothes. So she bought each of them a plastic tub, wrote one of their names on each, and instructed her friends to label all the tags of their maternity clothes. Now, when other friends of theirs are pregnant, they pull out their maternity bin for others borrow while needed and return when they've had their baby. I think it's brilliant!

Thanks for this great post! I think I freaked my husband out a little by muttering "I wish I was pregnant" while reading it. I also have a lot of empire waist dresses and tops that I always think will be good when I'm pregnant. Don't worry, I'm not going to actually get pregnant just to look as cute as you :)

I love your hair so much! We have similar hair and I was thinking "wow, I am going to ask Aura how she does that cute messy braided thing" and then I scrolled down and you gave instructions! Perfect.

Anonymous #1- My sister and I are night and day opposites! We're two completely different people, with similar interests, if that makes sense. She's very creative and is such a planner, like I am. But our lives are so different.She lives in a different state, and I'm hoping that having little ones at the same time will help us get together (and be closer) more often.

Anonymous#2- I have used Pureology Hydrate for almost 6 years :) The only time I stopped was last Winter when I used just baking soda for 4 months straight. I loved it, but I also missed my Pureology. It's a bit pricey, but it's also one of the best that I've come across for my unruly hair, so I think it's worth the money.

Anonymous#3: I'm not at all a purse kind of girl! I have this huge sack thing that I throw over my shoulder. I've had it for years. It has a rope handle and a big, bold red & gold print on it. You can spot it in quite a few photos around my blog. I believe it's in 5 or 6 photos from this post:

I have a couple leather bags, and I will switch out if I need to dress up a bit. But for my day-to-day I just use the huge sack. I can fit my camera in it, and I don't have to carry something on my shoulder.

Annie- Read over the tips on getting messy waves if you have straight hair! It will add a lot of texture and help with volume. I know it takes some time, but if you ever have an extra 20 minutes to kill you can get some beachy, pretty texture!

Larissa- I do not recommend or do any chemical straightening or waving to my clients. Just my personal motto :) I like color for enhancement (but I'm also not a fan of anything too wild) but no chemical changes, otherwise. I think it's unnecessary damage when you can spend an extra few minutes a day styling it! I took a peek at your blog and your hair actually looks like it might be able to hold some texture. Try the tips I left in the wavy hair category of how to get messy waves. If it's a bit loose after you try that and still needs more curl to it, go back around your face and a couple pieces of your crown with a curling iron. Just wrap sections around, instead of curling. You will also need to back-comb your roots. If you lift up sections and spray them lightly with hair spray, then comb them, it will hold better.I will probably need to do a back-combing tutorial soon! I know a lot of my clients are intimidated by it until I show them how to do it.

Thanks again for posting these tips, ladies! I'm glad we're putting together a space where women can come to find good tips for maternity fashion.

Aura... what a beautiful post! I was wondering if you would be willing sometime to write a little bit about your approach to BABY GEAR... and a baby registry, and all of that... You have such a simple, fresh way of living - I feel that people would really benefit from hearing your point of view on that. Thank you for your writing! It is a gift.

Oooh Aura, what a beautiful style you have! I really adore this post, it's something I need, even i'm not pregnant! I have lost my style on the way, while not having much money I have been lurking at the H&M and got only bad quality and not nice looking stuff. I know the excat same style wont fit me as i have different body, but this really gives me a kick to the butt to get my feminine side out. I got really annoyed to my hair as it was lumpy and didnt work when it was long, so i found new hairdresser, a guy who was told to be the "best one" in avignon. He was great and worked my hair more to natural direction and i lost 10cm, so it got a nice boost :)

You look beautiful while pregnant. I loved everything about this post! I agree with you with eating healthy and exercising while pregnant, it truly does make all the difference. Your body will naturally go back to your pre-weight as long as you take care of yourself [& breastfeeding also helps burns those extra calories]. I loved just about every outfit you posted, you have such a great style!I used a belly band so I was able to stay in my pre-prego jeans my entire pregnancy, such a wonderful product.& I also couldn't agree more with you on fixing your hair and putting on some make-up to just make yourself feel much more energized. I tried to do that the last trimester since the only outfit that felt comfortable [and would fit] was a beater, leggings, and a comfy sweater.

When I was pregnant I always found great stuff on clearance at the Gap. Their stuff is so simple and basic that you can't go wrong. My sister's pregnant and I just got her some cute henley's with ruching on the sides at Target.

Oh and kid/baby consingment stores also have great stuff for great prices. We usually don't wear maternity clothes for too long so you can find stuff that's in pretty good shape.

Love the post -- you look beautiful! I know I struggled to "be me" and be comfortable while I was pregnant --- I'll be sure to keep your tips in mind if we decide to have another. Would love to hear ur tips on food/exercise and baby gear as well! Take care. Peace.

I'm plus sized and just shy of 24 weeks pg with twin boys. I feel huge some days. Which is fine and normal. But I seriously do recommend Old Navy for plus sized maternity clothes, not terribly expensive and very cute :)

ahh, your so darn cute with that belly!!!!! AND....i saved a dew pictures for my ever growing outfit inspirations bc even though im not pregnant, those outfits are really cute and boho, exactly how i like it!!

first of all, let me tell you that you are one of the best looking pregnant women I have seen, you look beautiful. Now thank you so much for the hair tutorials, they are really easy and very helpful to me that have curly hair and do not like to use too much the flat iron. Than you Aura I <3 you Blog.

You look amazing! Your style is timeless. I've noticed you wearing a necklace that's just a round circle. I've been looking around for one like that forever, would you mind telling me where you got it?

Ellen- Registering has been heartbreak for me. I just don't want ANYTHING! There are like 30 things total on both my registries. I will definitely talk about baby gear, because it's a sensitive subject for me. I am a big believer that a baby doesn't require much, but this 70 billion dollar industry seems to think otherwise.

Anonymous- Thank you. My only requirement when I buy clothing is "will my kids make fun of me for wearing this in 30 years?" :) If the answer is no and it looks timeless, I'll buy it.I'm not much help with the necklace. It is actually a journey circle band with diamonds that Michael bought me 3 years ago. And if you look close, there is another ring on it, as well. It was my Mom's ring that my Dad bought her 31 years ago when she was pregnant with my sister. Here is a picture of it, close up:

YAY! for all the beautiful outfits! Maternity or not you have awesome style girl! I love it! If I am ever feel uninspired about what to wear, I'll just rummage around on your blog until I get inspired! I love this post! And the hair tutorials are great! I'll def. be trying the braid knot :)Lots of love girl and can't wait to read more posts!

P.S- Glad to hear you and Michael got a good laugh out of my dream, it was pretty funny! :)

Thank you so much for inspiring me to always look my best whilst pregnant. Though I have a long time to go before I show, it's nice to know that I don't have to put bag of shame over my face to mask my increasing mass. You are absolutely beautiful, and I wish you the best.

I know this isn't a how to blog but... : ) I was wondering if you could give a short explanation on how you did the video back in the fall when you announced you were pregnant. I really liked the music combo with the choppy/old camera style. I signed up for vimeo hoping they offered those different effects. I can't seem to find them though. What type of software did you use before uploading the video? I am hoping to make a Valentine's video for my husband featuring our kids and a song. : ) Thanks in advance and thanks for creating such an inspiring blog. I love to look at it each week.

Jmm- This will probably be no help at all, because the choppy/old camera style came from the fact that it was a Stop Motion Film. If you google that, you can find some information on it.The video was actually about 1,500 still photographs pieced together to make a video, and that's why it looked choppy! I have no earthly idea how to do that effect with software, because I really don't know much about video at all. It was my first attempt.

I pieced them all together with a program that makes GIF's out of multiple images, and then used Windows Movie Maker to add the music.

Hi Aura, I noticed that you love taking pictures but that at the same time you are also a lot in the pictures yourself...Can I ask you if you use a tripod in those cases (when it is just you or when it's you and your hubby)and maybe a self-timer???? :-)

Fancy doing a post on this subject? I am looking for tips for "self-portraits" that don't look like "self-portraits" if you see what I mean...

BTW: I don't remember how I discovered your blog but I love it! It is very inspiring!

Aura - sooooo cute! You make me want to be pregnant! (gasp!!!!!) Love love love all of the outfits and pairing them together. Where do you normally shop? I love the first dress you are wearing, the cardigan and the tights! (where????) Love the olive greenish dress and the brown cardigan too!

Beautiful! I wish I had been this inspired when I was pregnant. I must admit that I did the tent thing for pretty much 6 months straight (and several months after I gave birth... sigh). Anyway, would love a post on healthy eating during pregnancy and otherwise. I made the mistake of gaining 70lbs (yes 70lbs!!!) during my pregnancy and it has taken 1.5 years to get back to where I used to be (almost). I still have 10 more pounds to go (the most stubborn, those last 10lbs) and am SO doing things differently the next time around. As for registering, you are COMPLETELY right about the baby not needing much. There are so many items we did not use and that were a waste. So you are on the right track. Plus, if you find that you need something, you can just pick it up when needed. Most of the stuff/toys/etc. just create clutter. The essentials that we used in those first few weeks/months: diapers, wipes, onesies, a carrier, and stroller. That's it. And lots of cuddles and love. :)

You are amazingly gorgeous and SO stylish! I didn't even make the effort of a tent during my first pregnancy. I wore my husband's underwear, sweatshirts, and men's sweat pants. Extreme frumpiness. The second time was a bit different. Un-pregnant I am 5'3" with a small frame, and around 105 lbs. Pregnant, 2 times, I was very round, swollen, and MUCH bigger. 40 lbs bigger through the center, made me more than a little bit uncomfortable, and not able to relate to my new size. I bought really awesome baby doll dresses- my little one was born in early September, and I live in South Florida, so breezy clothes were necessary. They fit through the pregnancy, and still do now. I also wore beautiful linen pants, with a very low rise, and drawstring waist. Also, still being worn now, 40 lbs lighter. Above all, it is really important for every woman, especially pregnant and new mommas to feel beautiful every day. I believe this is an essential part of being a woman. You seem to pull it off effortlessly! Always inspiring!

Aura - a site you might like to check out - not for 'bump' dressing, but just for nice . . . www.yogamint.com, for music and lifestyle tips and for recipes and just yoga attitude. From them I learned about Alexi Murdoch (muscian) and also about Renee and Jeremy, who write and perform beautiful, meditative children's music. You can put in 'music' at the search prompt on the Yogamint home page and it will have leads to both Alexi and R&J. Hope you check it out - it kind of seemed like your style. Continue to live in truth, your blog is an inspiration. MML

You're such a beautiful pregnant woman! Thank you so much for the advice on dressing the bump and making me look at pregnancy on a whole new light. I am expecting but am still at early stage and already, I am worried about how I am going to look once the bump gets bigger. You're such an inspiration! You definitely rock the bump! xo

You are so beautiful—like your outfits! I wish I had been more stylish when I was expecting... (One year ago, I gave birth in May 2010.) It was so cold and I was so exhausted that I didn't put much effort in style at all.

&; button-up shirts are great for nursing as well! (In case you're going to breastfeed.) I wish I had bought a few nursing tank tops (I have one, which cost about $25) and worn button-up blouses on top instead of investing in several nursing bras that cost about $50 each...

You look beautiful. I used a few of those stretchy tube tops on my waist to hide a button that wouldn't close ;)That same tip came handy when my shirts got too short - it worked for me so I'm passing on the tip ;)xoall the best my sweetest

I was pregnant with twins, and at the end (we made it to 38 weeks) I was measuring as 52 weeks (FIFTY-TWO!!!). I had a pair of maternity jeans like you, and I actually bought a couple of men's plaid shirts so they would button across my massivness and then I sewed some buttons and loops where my shoulder blades are so I could fit the top some. The arm holes were still big, but I rolled them up to 3/4 length, add some Uggs and at least I think I looked decently cute for 38 weeks along with twins! A

When I was pregnant I kept my tights as a staple in my wardrobe, my mini dresses turned into tunics or long shirts, and i picked up most of my clothes at non-maternity stores (why they have so little fashion sense is beyond me), I bought a size larger than my normal wear and bought knits or empire waist dresses with some give to wear over the tights. by the third trimester it was long tanks, tights, and a cardi though.

this is fantastic!! i'm not planning on having kids anytime soon but this makes me excited for when the time is right. you look fabulous! and i tried the braided hair knot today. i need some practice but i love it! :)

I know that you posted this months ago, but I was just directed to this post by another blogger so I just saw it for the first time! I want to know so badly what brands of boots you are wearing in these pictures. I noticed you had a pair that are a taupe or light brown color of leather and then a pair that are more greyish and suede. I know you said one of them was from a boutique, but what are the brands of both those pairs?

I didn't read all 100+ comments so I am sure someone else has already said this, but you look adorable! I just hope I look that cute when I'm pregnant. My husband and I are planning within the next year and I was/am dreading having to buy a new wardrobe!! You helped a lot!

I am 17 weeks and a handful of days pregnant with my first and I am having a rough time finding clothing inspiration....until I stumbled (literally) across your site. I adore how simple and amazing your outfits are! You inspire me to create pulled together looks to "dress my bump" instead of "frump the bump"! I can not agree more about stretching the budget along with the clothes- seems like the industry really wants to "stick it to us"- we just gotta be one step ahead- and my friend- you truly are!Congrats!

Someone posted this on thebump.com and raved about it and I have to say I'm loving it too. I'm 15 weeks pregnent and do NOT want to spend an arm and a leg on maternity clothes. You've helped reassure me I do not have to. I'm probably going to by the LOVED jeans too.Thanks!

I just hopped on this blog from a friends Pinterest posting... what great advice you have. I love the way you belt your dresses and cardigans and at 4 months in the beginning of January I'm wishing i wore more dresses in the summer to have for now~!!

One thing I would add is that everything in my closet "shrunk" even in that early bloat stage. The shirts I purchased anticipating a bump aren't as long as I once imagined they would be, and along with my bump forming my booty is filling out as well! So think LONG everything. H&M also has some of these great solid pieces for super cheap... xlong tanks for $6 and the gorgeous cardigans for less than $20. you can put an xlong tank under a tank/top that's "shrunk" to make it look longer. (I noticed you did that in one of your photos!)

Also if you're not a size 0/2 (I'm a 6 pre-preggo and my stomach was always my nemesis) the belly bands can go over the jeans with the hair tie trick to help smooth things out and detour you from wanting to hide the awkward developing bump... and double as a "fake tank" under something a little on the short side :))

love this post! when i was pregnant, i did something similar to what you did, except i bought some clearance maternity tanktops and wore them all fall and winter with my cardigans and sweaters. best thing for cheap versatile style, nothing over 3$

I LOVE all your outfits. You listed where you got a few items from. I would love to see where you got them all from - I love your style! If you know and don't mind sharing more info where is everything from? I want a lot of the pieces and I'm not even pregnant:)

You seriously have the most AMAZING style. I love how its ever-changing but ever-adorable. You're also probably the cutest pregnant woman i've ever seen! I just found out i'm pregnant with my first baby, and i'm TOTALLY striving for this style! thank you SO much for sharing!!! LOVE IT!

The ideas are great and I will certainly be using more than one of them. However, what do you propose for those of us who are not originally a size 0/2 and have no hope of ever reaching that size, pregnant or otherwise? personally, my best bet will only ever be a 6, and I would like to see how these styles may translate to a more modern sized woman. Time for a photo shoot with a fat suit perhaps?

You are absolutely gorgeous! I am not remotely pregnant or thinking about being pregnant, but I would totally wear everything you had on! Great style! Best of luck with the baby and thanks for sharing your insights, tips, and tricks. I know you have helped a lot of moms-to-be!

Loved all of these outfits! I currently work the sidelines of the Broncos games as a retired NFL cheerleader. So hard to be around these girls in their adorable fitted outfits, but you have given me some great gameday ideas for the fall! I'm due New Years eve so I'm sure I will be in large tint sweaters near the end! Thanks for your help!

Thanks so much! You have totally inspired me. I'm pregnant with my second child and it's a totally different experience. Last time I was most pregnant during the summer months and got by with cute, long, dresses almost every day. This time, I can't wait to still be able to wear my boots and "skinny" jeans. It's the tops that have thrown me for a loop. I'm going to have to get some of my tanks back out! P.S. I found you on Pinterest and will be following you!!!